A News Five team was in the south on assignment when the weather system shifted. Throughout the day, authorities monitored the Kendal Bridge but for the most part, residents in the Peninsula were prepared for the storm and continued with the Lobster Fest. Flights to the area were cancelled early in the afternoon and resumed on Sunday when the weather improved significantly.

Charles Leslie Jr., Chairman of Placencia

“Right now we are working with NEMO. The same Keith Emmanuel, the Southern Regional Coordinator, we are developing a plan for the Placencia peninsula, an official evacuation plan. Basically if the situation, when the situation arises that a hurricane threatens this area, we gonna have designated boats, buses, automobiles, that will take people to designated locations and get people off the peninsula as quick as possible and also we are working with the Police department to have a security system set up in Placencia because during Iris a lot of people were burglarized and robbed because people came in from outside and no one was here to look after their belongings. So we want to avoid that situation and we’re going to have a plan within the next month or a couple of months. But as of right now , to be honest, most people in Placencia, due to Iris , have their own individual family plan and that individual family plan is to get out of Placencia the minute NEMO tells Placencia to get off Placencia.”

Isani Cayetano

“Does that speak then directly, to your level of readiness as a community?”

Charles Leslie Jr.

“Yes, we are very, very ready and everyone on this peninsula has been monitoring this storm system and everyone has been getting prepared so that if NEMO gave the official word, we would have cancelled the Lobster Fest, we wouldn’t put anyone in danger and we would be gone.”